by Markeeta and Melody
On November 17, 2025, Liberation At the Margins Collective had the extreme honor and pleasure of hosting a visit from civil rights activist, Ms. Judy Richardson.
Ms. Richardson embodied so much pride, strength, and courage as she entered the space proudly singing, “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around.” She conveyed to us that freedom songs like this one were used as organizational tools not only to overcome fear when they were challenged and threatened by the violence of white supremacy, but also to bring the collective together, and hold them together.
The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was founded on April 17, 1960, and is significant because it was the “only” student-led organization during the Civil Rights Movement. Members of SNCC were clever, hardworking, and radical activists who took pride in cultivating, galvanizing, and developing confidence and leadership among the men, women, and children in Black communities throughout the South. Ms. Richardson began working with SNCC in her hometown office of Cambridge, Maryland at the age of 19, before relocating to SNCC’s base office in Atlanta, Georgia.
She openly shared her extraordinary recollection of stories regarding events that she participated in as a SNCC staff worker and field secretary. As Ms. Richardson ushered us down memory lane we learned about the freedom rides of 1961, SNCC’s political organizing within the Black communities in the South as a way of demanding citizenship and securing voter registration rights in 1962, the Freedom Summer project of Mississippi in 1964, her participation in sit-in demonstrations as a way of challenging the oppression of systemic white supremacy, and the erection and function of freedom schools.
As she shared her perspectives on SNCC’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, we became even more emboldened in our identities as activists. During the time that we shared, Ms. Richardson assumed the position of our very own “Movement Mama” as she fed and nurtured us with the prized possession of her wisdom. She emphasized the significance of collective leadership, and how impactful it is to be one band that makes one sound. Additionally, she spoke to the importance of the work done by women within the organization such as Ms. Ella Baker, Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, and Ms. Bernice Johnson-Reagan (to name a few). She proudly testified to their boldness, their risk-taking, and their leadership.
Ms. Richardson also developed a Residential Freedom School of her own that was composed of students of all ages (old and young). Their two-part curriculum was built around Black history and the skills and ideologies connected with citizenship. Her students were encouraged to think critically, read, study, write poetry, and learn about arts and culture. Ms. Richardson knew the importance of bringing students together so that they could learn from each other to obtain maximized results from their education. As we reflected upon the significance of this, we couldn’t help but see the unique similarities between OPEEP, LAM Collective, and Freedom Schools.
Movement history continues to be a passion of Ms. Richardson’s as she continues to document and share SNCC’s Movement history through her books, lectures, workshops, and filmmaking. Some of her most significant work includes, but is not limited to, Eyes on the Prize (an Academy Award nominated Blackside film production); a book she co-edited, Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC; Malcolm X: Make it Plain (another Blackside production); and a PBS documentary titled, Scared Justice.
Our visit with Ms. Richardson was a remarkable and unforgettable experience. The results of her hard work and dedication, as well as her contributions to the Movement, signify the quality and results of true freedom dreaming.